Mark of the King
by Midnight Sun
Summary: In the shadows a power struggle is being waged by two of the greatest of the criminal underworld, with the winner attaining untold influence and wealth. The stage is being set, and the battleground will be a tournament that gathers the greatest fighters t


Something I slapped together one day, and yet another of the many unfinished   
fics I'm forcing down people's throats -_-;;.   
  
Anyway, enjoy   
  
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[Garou: Mark of the Wolves/King of Fighters/Ranma   
1/2][Fusion/Divergence][Action/Fighting]  
  
Disclaimer: Any and all characters presented in this are NOT mine and are the   
sole property of SNK, Rumiko Takahashi and any and all creators, owners, and   
distributors  
  
***= Designates a change in POV. Tread Carefully.  
  
Foreword: Just something I've been doing in my spare time. Don't expect anything   
groundbreaking.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mark of the King  
Chapter 1: Sinister Invitation. A woman named Mature.  
  
  
  
  
It could be seen for miles around. It shook the ground, warped the sky, and   
generated a blast of heat that blew down the tallest trees. It was like a   
miniature nuke had gone off. It generated a massive column of energy that   
snapped and crackled with emerald green and diamond blue hued lightning. It was   
a spectacular event that lasted only one glorious and all too brief instant.  
  
When he came to, as the smoke began to clear and the stinging glare in his eyes   
began to die down, the first things he felt was a sharp copper tang in his mouth   
and a burning pain in his chest as he struggled to breath between coughs. The   
area around him was a world of blackened, burning ash and cinder that nipped at   
his lungs with each inhale. He was completely spent, and it was not a matter of   
simply combat fatigue, he literally had nothing left, and was even finding it   
impossible to move at the current moment. That last desperation attack had left   
his energy reserve dry to the bone, it was a wonder he was still alive.  
  
"RRAAAAAGHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
It was a terrifying roar of rage and pain all rolled into one. He managed to   
lift his head up enough to see its source, the man he had been fighting. No   
matter how much skill you possessed, no matter how powerful one thinks they are,   
there will always be consequences for releasing a shockwave of force as great as   
they did. His sacrifice was being totally helpless, and apparently the trial his   
opponent had to endure was completely losing control of his power. He was on his   
knees and grasping his wrist, trying to control his spasming right hand that was   
wreathed in swirling blue flame. His entire body was radiating an intense aura   
coupled with sparks of cerulean electricity.  
  
"I've lost...completely," he resigned as he poured all his physical strength   
into just standing on his feet. His clothes were shredded tatters hanging limply   
from his body. Yet through his pain was not the depression that fueled him, but   
now it was something entirely different. It was something that made his lips   
curl into a feral grin, his fangs bearing out of his mouth ever so slightly.   
"This is amazing...simply friggin amazing."  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
An unrelenting sun beat down on his back in waves of blistering heat. The   
monotonous rhythm of a hammer striking a nail played in his ears for the near   
300th time that particular morning. He was at work patching up a rather massive   
hole that had been blasted through the roof of the dojo.  
  
"Jeez, it was better when it just simple patch jobs," he sighed. He was in   
nothing more than knee length jean shorts, and he was still sweating from head   
to toe. "What is with this heat? I'm being roasted alive out here."  
  
"This is your fault y'know," Akane reminded him. "If you and Ryoga hadn't gotten   
into that Shi Shi Houkodan chucking contest we wouldn't have to be practically   
rebuilding the entire training hall. At least you won, for all it was worth."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Ranma mumbled in thought. It had been around three months since   
that battle at Furikan High School, and he could distinctly remember being laid   
up for days from taking the brunt of so many Shi Shi Houkodans, Ryoga's newest   
technique to defeat him with. Ryoga had to have been in the same shape, yet he   
disappeared not too long afterward and yet to show his face again. He had   
already been depressed enough going into the fight, just so he could use the   
Perfect Shi Shi Houkodan, he could only imagine what his state was after the   
fact. "I wonder where that bastard disappeared to..."  
  
"Maybe he's learning some new technique to defeat you with," she chimed in.  
  
"Tch, he better be," he said. "Its been waaay too dead around here lately, if   
something doesn't stir up soon I'm gonna turn into an old man."  
  
  
*  
  
  
Outside of the Tendo Dojo, a black stretch limousine pulled up to its front   
gate. It idled for but a moment, before a door opened and a beautiful young   
woman stepped out. Her hair was golden blonde hair tied back in a bun with a   
tuft of bangs falling over her left eye. She was dressed in a black casual, and   
feminine, two-piece suit, and it was apparent that she was not wearing a blouse   
underneath.  
  
"Hmmmm, this is the correct address," she murmured as she removed her black   
shades to get a better look at the dojo sign. "I shouldn't be too long, keep the   
engine running."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"RANMA! AKANE! ITS TIME FOR A BREAK!" Kasumi called from the ground.  
  
Ranma casually backflipped off the roof of the dojo and landed in front of the   
eldest Tendo sister who held a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses.  
  
"Oh my, you've been working all day," she said in amazement. They managed to not   
only repair the massive hole that had been blasted into the outer wall, but also   
fill in several craters as well.   
  
"I wanna get this over with as quick as possible," Ranma said as he sipped the   
cold drink. "Speaking of which where the heck is my dad?"  
  
"Father and Mr. Saotome went to get more building supplies, we were running low   
as it is and had to use the last bit to repair the dojo," she answered.  
  
"Expect them to be good and plastered by the time they get back," Akane groaned.  
  
They're casual conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
"Oh, I'll get that," Kasumi said quickly.  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strange and bewildering presence struck Ranma's   
senses. It was dark and twisted, and larger than anything he had ever sensed, it   
was like it was everywhere at once. It felt like a thousand needles were   
pricking at his skin, and he could already feel a sweat forming on his brow.  
  
"What the hell..." he whispered as he searched the skies.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane asked in concern. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Uhhh...no....its nothing...," He said as he was instantly snapped out of   
whatever it was he was sensing. 'At least I hope to hell it was nothing...'  
  
"It seems we have a visitor who wants to speak with you Ranma," Kasumi said as   
she returned with a woman in her stead. "Miss...?"  
  
"Mature," the woman answered with a slight bow. "Mature Valentine. Would you   
happen to be Ranma Saotome?"  
  
"Uhhh, yeah that's me," he said as he raised an eyebrow. "Whatddya want?"  
  
"If it isn't too much trouble," the elder woman said as she briefly eyed Akane   
and Kasumi. "Could we possibly talk in private?"  
  
"Yeah...sure," he shrugged. "In the dojo I guess."  
  
"Thank you,"  
  
The two entered the dojo, which had a film of sawdust and woodchips upon its   
floor. Light streamed in from the glaring hole in the roof, causing Ranma to   
cringe slightly at bringing a guest inside.  
  
"The reason I've come here is to give you this," Mature produced a small black   
envelope, emblazoned with a gold seal.  
  
"Eh? What the heck's this?" Ranma blinked as he examined the envelope.  
  
"It is a private invitation to a...soiree that is being held for a select few,"   
she explained. "It is our hope that you will be able to attend."  
  
"A party?" he asked. "Why the heck would you invite me?"  
  
"Oh this 'party' as you put it is only for a special kind of clientele," she   
smiled. "My superior will only allow the best of the best within his presence."  
  
An electric shock coursed through his body with explosive force, causing him to   
take a step back in total alarm. It was the same foreign energy he had felt not   
five minutes ago, except this time it was not nearly as enormous, and he could   
clearly feel it radiating from this woman. Indeed, a slight, almost   
imperceptible light blue aura outlined her striking figure. Ranma's eyes widened   
to there fullest as she gave an idle wave of her arm sending a blade of pure ki   
screaming straight toward him.  
  
He moved on automatic, barely sidestepping the ki-blade as it grazed his cheek   
and exploded through the dojo wall, and then rushing the woman in a full on   
assault. She slipped by his punches and parried his kicks with light blocks,   
much to his surprise, few people were able to keep up with him as easily as she   
was. His attack paused when he suddenly felt two fingers pressing hard on his   
forehead. Normally this would not give him pause, if it were not for the fact   
that he was once again feeling that tingle against his skin, that same feeling   
he experienced right before she launched her blade attack.  
  
"Well?" she asked with an amused tone after a brief pause.  
  
"Heh, yeah I see what you're sayin'," he acknowledged the unspoken communication   
as he backed off. "So when's this thing supposed to start?"  
  
"It will begin in three months times," she answered as she walked out of the   
dojo. "You will receive the location as well as all the pertinent details soon   
enough, so keep your eyes and ears open."  
  
Akane and Kasumi quickly pried their ears away from the wall as soon as Mature   
stepped out, who paid them no heed as she made her way back through the house.  
  
"Ranma! You're bleeding!" Akane said in surprise as he walked out shortly after.   
"What happened in there?!"  
  
"Oh," he absently ran his thumb across the cut on his left cheek. He stared at   
the blood for a minute before idly licking it off his thumb. "Its nothing."  
  
"What did she say?" Kasumi asked next after noticing the envelope he was   
holding.  
  
"It was nothing important," he answered, waving off the entire encounter. "I'm   
gonna take a bath. I'll finish this up tomorrow."  
  
Both of them watched dumbfounded as he disappeared into the house.   
  
"What's up with him?" Akane asked in slight annoyance.  
  
"I don't know, but its probably best if we left him alone for now," Kasumi   
suggested.  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Well?" a deep, ominous voice asked as she returned to the waiting limousine.   
  
"He accepted, as if there were any doubt that he would," she said before   
chuckling lightly. "His senses are very acute, though any fighter worth their   
salt should have no trouble detecting your power."  
  
A low guttural snarl escaped the lips of a large feline beast laying lazily at   
the feet of her master. The midnight black panther opened her blazing yellow   
eyes for only moment to regard Mature before lulling back to sleep, her tail   
swished lazily from side to side as her keeper stroked her back.  
  
"And what of our other operatives?" he asked.  
  
"Only a few more names need to be tracked down, and I've given Vice the task of   
locating the last fighter on the list," she reported. "We should be hearing of   
her success in a few days."  
  
"Excellent, I want that man under my sway, no matter what she has to do or offer   
to convince him," he said. His intense aura of authority flooded the vehicle.   
Anyone not used to it would feel like they were drowning. "And about HIM?"  
  
"Our agents have reported that he was last seen entering China, and that he   
appears to be headed toward the Qinghai-Tibet plateau region," she continued.   
"By what we can ascertain he appears to still be in the process of gathering his   
own resources and followers."  
  
"If we are not careful he can grow to become quite the nuisance," the mysterious   
man whispered, more to himself than her. "Continue to monitor him. Should he   
make one too many wrong moves, than I shall have him eliminated."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
In the darkness of the limousine a crimson point of light shone through. Mature   
could not help but slightly uncomfortable at the intense, overwhelming dark   
power he radiated at all times. It was wild and riotous, and it was wonder he   
was even able to keep it under his control.  
  
"Driver, to Black Noah," he commanded. "I must prepare for our future guests."  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Deep the mist-covered forest valleys of Qinghai, China, a great fire raged, and   
terrified screams echoed in the air. Hidden from the prying eyes of civilization   
lay a village of great warriors. It was a matriarchal tribe of female martial   
artists whose skills and traditions have long since passed the test of time. Now   
all they had built and sustained was being torn asunder before their very eyes.  
  
"Who...what is he?" a single ruby haired warrior managed to croak as she lay   
battered and beaten amidst the bodies of her fellow Amazons. Devastation and   
damnation was all that was left of her beloved village, and all she could do was   
watch as more and more fighter charged to their deaths in an attempt to defeat   
the seeming god that had appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"Heimlicher Atem," he whispered.  
  
It was if the heavens had opened and unleashed the wrath of God upon them. A   
beam of searing blue power screamed down from the sky and consumed the Amazon   
warriors around him. The ones who were not instantly vaporized were either   
flash-fried to a crisp or thrown to the wind like so much trash by the fiery   
burst unleashed when the strike collided with the ground.   
  
As the smoke cleared he could be seen standing in the center of the blackened   
crater produced by the attack. He had long blonde hair and bright ruby red eyes.   
His hands radiated lavender psionic flame as walked out of ground zero without   
pause.  
  
"Schwartz Flamme," he said next, followed by a wave of his arm.  
  
Twin streaks of fire raced through the air and overwhelmed three more fighters.   
Nothing more than charred husks and ash were left behind. With a sinister smile   
he approached the last remaining Amazon, one he had purposely left alive...  
  
"Why...why are you doing this to us?" she asked in rasped voice through her   
tears as he hoisted her up by the throat. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am Kain Heinlein, a name you shall remember in your nightmares," he answered   
as his eyes glowed like a demon incarnate. "And there is something, and someone,   
that I want. And I believe you know where the both of them are."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To Be Continued....  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
1). As you can no doubt tell I'm going to be adjusting the power/skill levels of   
all parties involved in this fic. To give a hint, expect the SNK crowd to be   
more of the level portrayed in the King of Fighters comic books, located at   
http://www.kofonline.com for this interested. 


End file.
